by Mark Goodwin
“I told Him thank you for bringing you back,” said Micah.
“Good.” If this experience was necessary to convince Micah that God existed, then it was worth it to Josh—every grueling second of it.
“We’re going to burn these batteries out,” said Stephanie. “Give me five minutes to get your Bible and dinner to the stump.”
“Thank you. Good night.”
“And Dad.”
“Yes?”
“I love you.”
“I love you, too, Son.” Josh waited a few minutes, then left his tent to find the plastic container of food waiting for him at the stump of an old tree. He picked up his dinner and looked to see someone standing in the distance.
Mackenzie waved. “I never got a chance to thank you. I’m sure you could have abandoned us and saved yourself. Actually, I don’t understand why you didn’t. I mean, I’m a complete stranger, obviously from the polar opposite political spectrum as yours. Even my own boyfriend abandoned me. I know you and Dad are friends—but even him, you two haven’t really been acquainted for that long.”
Josh glanced down at the Tupperware holding his meal. “Your father is a good man.” He looked back up at Mackenzie. “I suppose part of it was a sense of duty. Plus, Jesus encourages us to do unto others as we’d have done unto ourselves.”
She nodded in such a way as to indicate she still did not grasp his reasoning. “Okay. I’ll let you eat before your food gets cold. Thank you again.”
“I’m glad everything worked out.” Josh turned to go back to his tent.
***
The week passed without incident and Josh completed his quarantine. Nevertheless, he wanted the group to remain vigilant and to be prepared to bug out at a moment’s notice.
Emilio looked on as Josh inspected the contents of Nicole’s bug out bag. “I’m afraid if the DGS captures one of us, they could find the map of the various supply stashes we have around the park. If that happened, they could watch the location until someone came to retrieve the supplies.”
“You don’t need this, you don’t need this, you don’t need this. . .” Josh tossed a pair of jeans, a makeup bag, and an extra pair of shoes out of Nicole’s bag. He looked up at his sister. “You have to keep this thing light. If you ever need it, you’ll have to move fast and far. The object of the game here is not to have enough supplies to jumpstart a new society. You simply want to have the ability to survive for 72 hours.”
She crossed her arms and nodded. “Okay.”
Josh turned his attention to Emilio. “You’re right. We either need to scramble the information on the map or better yet, have everyone memorize the locations.”
“It’s three locations. Each is marked by some type of landmark anyway so that it can be identified on the map. It wouldn’t be that difficult to remember. Everyone simply needs to be able to hike to the location without a map and identify the cache.” Emilio sat on Nicole’s bed.
“Yeah, okay. Why don’t you put together a training exercise? Keep it small. Teams of two. Have them hike out on day one with the map. Then, have them go again without the map. You’ll have to supervise, so perhaps you could do a team in the morning, one at lunch, and another in the afternoon.”
“I can do that,” said Emilio.
Josh added, “And have them wear their bug out bags. Once they see how much they weigh, I think it will motivate everyone to be more economical about what they pack.”
Nicole pointed to Emilio. “I’m on his team.”
“Nice try,” said Josh. “Why don’t you work with Melanie?”
“She’ll want to be on a team with Poochy.”
“Then how about Christina?” Josh asked.
“Won’t she want to be with her daughter?” Nicole lowered her eyebrows.
Josh looked out the window to see Lindsey and Micah walking by. “I think she already has a teammate.”
“Fine. I’ll go tell her about the drill and ask her if she wants to work with me.” Nicole left the room.
Josh put his hand on Emilio’s shoulder. “I’m going to see how the kids did on their hunt this morning.” He walked outside and found Micah holding a turkey by the leg while Lindsey cut off the foot at the joint.
“I wish we could have caught it alive,” said Micah. “It would have been nice to have a turkey like this for Thanksgiving next week.”
“No way will the meat keep that long.” Lindsey tossed the foot into the compost bucket and started cutting on the other leg.
“You might get another one Tuesday or Wednesday. You’ve got time.” Josh felt proud of his son’s ability to help provide for the group. He was also glad to see that Micah and Lindsey enjoyed each other’s company. The experience would have been much more difficult for Micah if he’d not had someone else his age around.
“Maybe,” said Lindsey. “This one was part of a group with about eight other birds.”
Micah looked up at his father. “But the park is full of hunters. Those birds don’t have very good odds of surviving the day.”
“We’ll be thankful for the one we have then.” Josh tousled Micah’s hair. “I’ll go tell Mom that we’re having turkey for dinner.”
CHAPTER 16
Because of the wrath of the Lord it shall not be inhabited, but it shall be wholly desolate: every one that goeth by Babylon shall be astonished, and hiss at all her plagues.
Jeremiah 50:13
Later Saturday evening, the growing group gathered around the small living room to watch the latest development in the Red Virus outbreak and the events unfolding around the world. With eleven members in the compound, the younger people sat on pillows or directly on the floor, ceding the sofa and loveseat to the more mature.
Anchor Lillian Lopez sat behind her desk. “Tonight, we’re delighted to have back with us, Director General from the World Health Organization, Dr. Subhash Ahuja. Doctor Ahuja, welcome back.”
“It’s good to be here, Lillian.”
“Can you give us the latest statistics with the ongoing pandemic?”
“Yes, Lillian. I’m sorry to say that the infections seem to be spreading at a parabolic rate. The WHO now estimates that as many as 30 million people in the US are likely to be infected. That number doesn’t necessarily reflect people who are symptomatic, but it’s the number our computer model suggests have contracted the virus.”
“So, if the incubation phase is five to seven days, that means a week from now, ten percent of the US population will be sick?” asked Lopez.
“I’m afraid so. Additionally, by then, we expect the virus will have spread to roughly 100 million people.”
“Are we any closer to finding a cure or developing a vaccine?”
“I’m afraid not,” said the doctor. “One of the things we feared most was mutation. Unfortunately, the virus is changing, branching off into new subtypes. This inhibits our ability to produce a vaccine that will be effective against the various mutations. It also makes it more difficult to predict in terms of how quickly it is likely to spread in the future.”
“Why? How would a mutation affect the rate of transmission?”
“Red Virus RV4 is now infecting birds and other mammals. We believe it can be transmitted by any blood-feeding insects such as mosquitoes, lice, ticks, fleas…”
“Transmitted to humans, or animals?” Lillian asked.
“Both.” The doctor frowned. “On top of everything else, we now know that an infected person can become contagious in as little as 48 hours, long before they begin to show symptoms. We believe this is key to the rapid spread rate we’re experiencing.”
“Three-quarters of the people first infected survived the virus. Do we know if they have developed antibodies against the virus? And if so, are those antibodies effective against the mutations?”
Doctor Ahuja replied, “We’ve done extensive testing with the initial survivors. Antibodies are present in the blood of all of the survivors, and they are effective in neutralizing the Red Virus in a labor
atory setting.”
“What about the mutations?” asked Lillian.
“Yes, the antibody proteins appear to be about 95 percent effective in neutralizing the first-level mutation, and 85 percent effective against a level-two subtype.”
“So, the more the virus mutates, the more at risk we are of a second infection. If we survive the initial disease, of course.”
“Yes, but nutrition and general health will play a big role in your body’s ability to fight off a secondary pathological incident.”
“What should we do? What are your recommendations for people sitting at home right now?”
“The WHO and the CDC are asking that people remain indoors as much as possible. At this stage, your viewers should avoid contact with people and animals. If you have pets and you have flea treatments on hand, you should administer them. Fortunately, the colder months are upon us and insect activity is much lower, however, people in southern states should use mosquito repellant if they must venture outdoors.”
“Is this something that will be under control by the time we get through winter?” asked Lillian.
“It’s hard to say, but at the current rate of spread, we predict the virus will have burned itself out by then.”
“So, if the mortality rate is 25 percent, we could be looking at 25 million deaths over the next two to three weeks?”
The doctor gazed down at the news desk. “I’m afraid so.”
“Meanwhile,” said Lindsey. “Neither the doctor nor Lillian Lopez are wearing face masks.”
“Which tells us that the vaccine is effective against the new mutated strains,” said Rev.
“I suspect they’ve known the virus would mutate.” Emilio put his arm around Nicole. “And they knew the vaccine would prevent anything it could morph into.”
Stephanie sat on the couch between Josh and Rev. “The vaccine was probably engineered in the same lab as the virus.”
Josh looked at the group. “No more hunting.”
“But we need wild game to supplement our food stores,” said Micah.
Josh shook his head. “No. We knew wild game would only be available for a limited time. It’s already getting scarce. Other hunters in the park are depleting the animal populations. We’re having to travel farther and farther to bring home less and less meat. In addition to the virus, every time we go out, we risk being spotted by other hunters and drawing attention to the compound. It’s been good while it lasted, but now it’s too dangerous.”
“Can we still take squirrels if we see them on the property?” Micah asked.
“No. If they’re telling us about the virus being in the animal population now, that means they’ve probably known about it for weeks. The park could already be contaminated.” Josh didn’t want to frighten anyone, but he needed to instill a healthy dose of respect into Micah and Lindsey.
“They’ve been killing and cleaning game every day.” Stephanie looked at her son and his close friend. “Do you think they might already be at risk?”
Josh knew it was a possibility. “I don’t think it’s something to get worked up about just yet.”
“What about the chickens and rabbits?” asked Nicole.
“We’ll have to get rid of them,” said Josh.
“Get rid of them?” said Rev, “We invested a lot of resources into those animals.”
“And we have to cut our losses,” said Josh. “We can’t risk an outbreak over a handful of animals. We have supplies. We can get by without them.”
Emilio frowned. “It’s going to be that much tighter. Especially with no other sources for protein.”
“I know, but it’s too big of a hazard,” Josh replied.
“Might I suggest a middle way?” said Stephanie.
“Middle way?” asked Josh.
“What if we released all the rabbits except a buck and two does? We can keep them separated so they don’t breed. And, we could feed them without coming into contact with the animals. We can use sticks to put the fodder into the hutches. The chickens, also. We don’t have to go into the coop to give them their food.”
“But it’s a waste of resources to feed animals that aren’t producing anything,” he answered. “Even worse, they’re a health risk.”
“A minimal risk, especially if we’re not coming into contact with them,” said Stephanie. “The CDC could release a statement tomorrow saying the only two species of animals not susceptible to the virus are chickens and rabbits.”
“Highly unlikely.” Josh crossed his arms.
She countered, “But not impossible.”
“For what it’s worth,” said Rev. “She has a point.”
Micah added, “If we can feed the animals with sticks, we could also collect the eggs with sticks. We could even bring a pot of boiling water when we go get them. We could drop the eggs straight into the hot water. Then, take the pot and put it back on the burner until the eggs are cooked. No virus is going to survive that.”
“Everyone likes a boiled egg once in a while,” said Nicole.
“And egg salad, or an egg salad sandwich,” Emilio added.
Josh was clearly in the minority in his thinking. “Okay, but we have to take this threat seriously. If I see people getting complacent about handling the eggs or feeding the animals, the chickens and rabbits are gone. No discussions and no second chances.”
“What about the bees?” asked Stephanie.
Josh raised his shoulders. “They aren’t blood-feeding insects. They should be safe. We can keep the bees until we hear something that makes us think otherwise.”
Melanie raised her hand.
Josh called on her. “Yes, Melanie?”
“Let me predicate my statement by saying that if it were me, I’d have no problem following my own suggestion.”
“Go ahead.”
She seemed hesitant to continue speaking. “Wouldn’t it be… I mean, should we consider—perhaps, setting up a quarantine for the people who have been hunting in the last week?”
Josh did not want to isolate his son from the rest of the group. He folded his hands and considered a response.
Micah took Lindsey’s hand. “We wouldn’t mind. We can camp out in a tent together, or stay in the cave, whatever. It’s no big deal.”
Christina was first to interject. “Not on your life!”
Micah sighed, as if his plans for a romantic outing had just been dashed.
Stephanie commented. “Besides, we’ve all been eating the game.”
Melanie said, “Cooking kills any pathogens in the meat.”
“What about the people preparing the food?” Nicole asked.
“They might still be at risk,” said Poochy. “Depending on the level of hygiene practiced in the kitchen.”
Stephanie, who’d acted as lead cook, looked at Rev and Nicole, her usual assistants in meal preparation. “We wash our hands, but we don’t have bleach buckets set up to wipe down every cutting board and soak every utensil.”
Josh had a sick feeling in his stomach. “We’ll set two quarantine levels in the house. The kids can go upstairs, which will be level one, and the people who have been in contact with the raw meat can stay on the main floor of the farmhouse. Anyone who can’t be accommodated in one of the trailers can set up a cot in the cave.”
Christina glared at Micah. “If Lindsey has to be there, then I stay with her.”
“Mom, you’ll risk getting infected.” She seemed as determined as Micah to carve out some alone time.
“I’ll sleep upstairs in the room with Micah. Lindsey can have the other room to herself,” said Josh.
Christina shook her head. “If she gets sick, I want to be there with her.”
“If she gets sick,” Josh replied. “Which is a really big if at this point. She has a 75 percent chance of living. If the two of you get sick, the odds of you both surviving drops to a little better than fifty-fifty. My guess is that I’ve been vaccinated. Why don’t you let me take the risk? I promise I’ll take care o
f her, and I’ll make sure the displays of affection stay in check.”
Neither Micah nor Lindsey looked particularly pleased with that alternative, but Christina reluctantly agreed. “Okay.” Her eyes looked defeated, as if resigned to the fate of waiting for a verdict from the jury.
Stephanie likewise appeared grieved by the potential of having her only child infected by the deadly disease. “I guess we should get started. The virus can be contagious even before a person shows symptoms.”
“Yeah.” Josh nodded grimly. “Everyone, gather your belongings and get to the area that you’ll be staying during the quarantine period. Each living space will have a walkie-talkie so we can stay in touch with each other. You can use a private frequency if you’d like to carry on a personal conversation but make sure you always switch back to channel three when you finish.”
Nicole’s sadness echoed in her voice. “I can’t believe we’re all going to be separated for Thanksgiving.”
Josh watched everyone getting up. “Those of you not on quarantine will have to carry all of the security shifts. Emilio will be in charge of scheduling.”
Mackenzie raised her hand. “I don’t mind standing watch with a radio, but I won’t carry a gun.”
Josh held back his grin. “That’s fine. You haven’t been trained and would probably be a bigger threat to the compound than the enemy anyway. You’re the designated supply runner. If someone needs something, they’ll call you to bring it.”
With the basic quarantine overview established, everyone went their separate ways.
***
Three days passed with no sign of anyone in the group getting sick. Josh and Micah sat on Lindsey’s bed playing Monopoly. The teenaged girl rolled the dice and moved her race car around the board.
“Two houses, three hundred dollars.” Micah held out his hand.
She counted out the money with a sour face. “We should convert the rents into marks.” Lindsey coughed and covered her mouth.
“Are you feeling okay?” Josh asked.